Is Bigger Always Better?

There have been two small recalls for ground beef over the past few days, in addition to two significantrecalls that were announced over the past several weeks. What's notable about these recalls, however, is the ability of the companies involved to respond to the problem.

Sterling Pacific Meat Co. of Commerce, Calif., is recalling about 3,500 pounds of ground beef because it may be contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7. Sold under the name "Cattlemen's Choice", a similar recall was mistakenly issued earlier for "Stock Yards Brand". Stock Yard Brand is, apparently, OK and the recall should have been for Cattlemen's Choice. Doesn't that soothe your anxieties about the safety of meat production?

A much smaller recall has been issued on the East Coast for 128 pounds of ground beef produced by Marcacci Meats in Vineland, N.J. The ground beef was produced just last week and sold to a distributor which, in turn, packaged it and sold it to retail customers in Vineland.

The length of time between the production of the ground beef and the actual recall is particularly interesting. Sterling Pacific Meat Company's recall is for ground beef produced back in May, while Marcacci's recall is for ground beef produced on Aug. 12. Sterling is a large producer and about half the recalled meat was sold to Fatburger, a national fast-food chain. Marcacci is a small company, producing about 120 to 200 pounds of meat a day, according to the company's owner, Nehnet Siltagar.

"We're not one of those big companies," said Siltagar, and he's able to keep a close eye on everything that happens at Marcacci, he said. Notably enough, one call to the company's phone number put me directly in touch with Siltagar; he was the one who answered the phone.

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